Sage Mosin Nagant Advice Needed....

[MassMark]

Hey gang - it looks like I'll be joining the ranks of the Mosin Nagant owners in a couple of days. A local dealer has the last of a batch of carbines for a whopping $75.00, so I figured: "what the hell". A dealer across town wants $99.00 and another wants $130.00, so for 75-bucks to get a surplus rifle, I've waited long enough.

I did catch the sticky, but truthfully have not had time to wade through the site. I was hoping for a few pointers from the experts here at NES, (why leave home after all?).

First, he has five rifles left - four are all marked at $75.00 and come with accessories, (sling, ammo pouches etc.) One however looks exactly the same as the rest, but is marked at $95.00 and has "Russian Manufacture" on the tag. I was rushing through and the dealer was busy, but was curious as to what the $20.00 premium could be?

Second, is there anything in particular I should be looking for when I pick my rifle? All seem to have been de-cosmoed and all have accessories, but I was wondering if there was anything in particular that any experienced Mosin-shopper looks for, (bolt play, stock fit etc.)?

Last, I have read several threads on accuracy, or lack - some threads claiming 8" high at 100-yards with the sights bottomed out. If I pick a rifle like that, is there a fix? What should my accuracy expectations be with a properly functioning rifle if I do my part?

Really Lastly, Ammo suggestions? Any one better than the other?

Thanks guys - looking forward to the next "Mosin Volley Fire" at the NES Shoot, but I won't be doing the bayonet charge....You guys looked silly...

 

[jhrosier]

.....One however looks exactly the same as the rest, but is marked at $95.00 and has "Russian Manufacture" on the tag. I was rushing through and the dealer was busy, but was curious as to what the $20.00 premium could be?

Are you a collector or a shooter? No reason to pay a collector's premium for a shooter.

Second, is there anything in particular I should be looking for when I pick my rifle? All seem to have been de-cosmoed and all have accessories, but I was wondering if there was anything in particular that any experienced Mosin-shopper looks for, (bolt play, stock fit etc.)?

Condition,condition,condition.
sharp rifling and a shiny bore, no muzzle counterbore.
matching numbers, at least on the bolt and receiver

Last, I have read several threads on accuracy, or lack - some threads claiming 8" high at 100-yards with the sights bottomed out. If I pick a rifle like that, is there a fix? What should my accuracy expectations be with a properly functioning rifle if I do my part?

The Mosins, like most battle rifles, are sighted for 300 meters.
They all shoot way high at shorter ranges.
You can build up or replace the front sight with a taller one.

Acceptable accuracy will be 2 to 4 inch groups at 100 yards. Many will do somewhat better. Good ammo is assumed (fresh commercial or handloads.)

Jack

 

[Nickle]

Pointers on buying a Mosin Nagant.

First, try to avoid Carbines, and go for the 91/30. Your shoulder and your shooting will thank you.

If you do choose to go with a carbine, the M38 (no bayonet) is the prefereable one, over the M44 (with bayonet).

The best Mosin are Finnish Mosins.

Hex receivers bring a premium. As does anything Finnish, or anything pre-91/30.

 

[SKS Ray]

They're probably M44 carbines. They seem to be whats available now from everywhere. If one rifle is marked $20 higher, look at the receiver to see what markings are different if any, and look at the muzzle. Lots of these were counterbored about a 1/2 inch to improve accuracy over a worn out muzzle which some usually have.
Tula rifles (Star receiver marking) are generally sought after over the Izhevsk marked ones. Differences in types can be found here: Mosinnagant.net
Its unlikely that the seller has a bunch of non Russian carbines. There are still some Hungarian, Romanian, and Polish ones floating around (Polish being the best of the M44 carbines IMO), but most of what you see today are Russian M44 carbines from the Izhevsk arsenal.
Nothing wrong with them, they're fun rifles, but they just seem to be the most common these days.
If it were me buying my first, I'd go for the nicest one I could find in the bunch. Bore condition is tops, muzzle crown second, bluing and wood third.
Most actions on the M44s are the same but some that have smooth metal receiver finish with no rough tooling marks wind up being the smoothest cycling because they weren't built in a rush during war time.
As for ammo, try and get some new productions stuff like Wolf Gold. Its non corrosive and shoots well, but the surplus stuff works ok for me.
FWIW, I shoot all mine at 100 yard settings with no problems, even at 50 yards. Than again I tend to aim a little low so I can see the whole target when I shoot.

 

[MassMark]

Thanks guys - I appreciate it and yes, I'm just buying it as a shooter. I figure if I can hit a pumpkin at the Pumpkin Shoot, or a car fender at the Car Shoot, then for 75-bucks I'm doing just fine. Yes, if I forgot to mention it, these are indeed carbines. I'll take a closer look at them tomorrow - going to bring a bore light and give them a look-see. Are there any stripper clips commonly available for these? I may just buy two and keep one for parts or cache....

 

[Coyote33]

Sounds good. My uncle and great uncle were in the Winter War and Continuation War, so I'm getting real interested. What caliber bullet do these shoot? Are they at all able to be "sporterized" for hunting whitetails? If I started down this path, I'd imagine I'd get one for the time being which would be a shooter, and maybe then turn that or another one into a hunting rig. Maybe later down the road, go for something more collectible. Where was this $75 deal, anyhow?

 

[BillK]

Mark,

These fire the 7.62.54R, I shoot almost 440 rds a week. Nice guns, cheap ammo, great target hits @ 200yrds.

Try to stay away from lacq. cases, they will stick after some time on the range.

 

[MassMark]

Where was this $75 deal, anyhow?

Out here at a local gun haunt in Western Massachusetts - if you're out this way, drop me a line. I'm looking for strictly a shooter. If I get hooked, well, I'll cross that bridge...

Bill - thanks for the advice. I'm not sure what he has for ammo, but I'm hoping he's got some milsurp for plinking and perhaps a box or two of decent fodder for accuracy testing...I know it's only a $75.00 rifle, but I can't wait for payday!

 

[SKS Ray]

Thanks guys - I appreciate it and yes, I'm just buying it as a shooter. I figure if I can hit a pumpkin at the Pumpkin Shoot, or a car fender at the Car Shoot, then for 75-bucks I'm doing just fine. Yes, if I forgot to mention it, these are indeed carbines. I'll take a closer look at them tomorrow - going to bring a bore light and give them a look-see. Are there any stripper clips commonly available for these? I may just buy two and keep one for parts or cache....

There is some Bulgarian ammo out there on real stripper clips. Avoid the aftermarket ones because they rarely work. Don't forget, these are rimmed cartridges and have to be fed a certain way in order for cycling to work well.
If I remember I'll bring some stripper clips to the next shoot and give you a few if you haven't gotten any by then.
As for parts... there are plenty of parts on E Bay for dirt cheap. I buy grab bags of Mosin/Mauser parts here and there for dirt cheap when I see them pop up for sale because you can never have too many extractors, trigger groups, firing pins, capture screws, front sights, etc. If you do buy a second gun, it'll never be a parts gun, just the other one you bring to the range now and then.

 

[vellnueve]

Judge it on bore condition over anything else.

 

[Nickle]

Are there any stripper clips commonly available for these? I may just buy two and keep one for parts or cache....

eBay and Gunbroker both have a guy selling Mosin stripper clips. You're going to want a bunch of them, and they're fairly cheap in the bundle this guys sells them in. Seems it cost me somewhere between $15 and $25 for the bundle.
http://gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=90039357

 

[Nickle]

What caliber bullet do these shoot? Are they at all able to be "sporterized" for hunting whitetails?

Well, somebody already said 7.62x54R, and Winchester (and others) makes it.

I've got a good friend that hunts with a sporterized Mosin, but why, I don't know. They're all right as-is. Of course, I'm the guy that uses an M-14, AK or Romanian Dragunov for hunting.